Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-08-21

black at times; and her hair, OF darkest
brown, formed glorious coils around a
most shapely head-yet so coiled by the
dett fingers OF her aunt's maid, Made
molseIle ClotChette, as not to conceal its
form. Melanie's complexion was bril-
| ilantiy tair, colorless in fact; and her
! curved lips were so scarlet that enc
might have thought she touched them
with creme vermilla, yet it was the pure
vermllion Of nature.
In the land of lovely women, both girls
were beautiful.
"And Captain Lonsdsle never once
! spoke Of me to you?" said Miss Tremayne,
after pause, during which she had been
slowly tanning herself.
"No."
"Strange" said the other with curl
of her handsome lip.
''Why stranger"
But for reasons of her own, this indo-
lent beauty only replied by soft dreamy
smile OF wonderful depth. .
Her remarks, and others MADE before,
though too probably prompted by mere
vanity, not unnaturally ranked in the
mind OF Melanie, whom Miss Tremayne
sought to inspire with rivalry and jeal-
ousy.
A rather awkward silence ensued, till it
was broken by gentleman, who claimed
the latter for new sett. she rose and
swept away with smiling alacrIty, and
Meienie Talbot was left alone; but for 8
minute only, and sigh of annoyance es-
capped her when she saw her bette noir,
Sir Brisco Braybrooke, approaching.
Melanie Talbot $50 named by her god
mother, French lady of Pondicherry) a.,
the penniless orphan of distinguished
officer of H. NJ. Indian army, had been
! for season chaperoned by her widowed
aunt, Mrs. Chillington of Chillington Park,
! the wealthy, proud, and somewhat selfish
| bugbear of the girl-a bugbear, because
/ of ler assumption end high handed inter
! ference. And now, the tennis party we
have described was, to Melanie, the clos
! ing scene OF her season and her "oppor-
! tunities," of which, she had been Candidly
! informed, cit was her bOunden duty to
make the most" and if Aunt Chillington
! knew aught about Montague Lonsdale,
and how dear he was to Melanle, his ex-
| istence was carefully ignored by that
worthy lady, whose hopes for her niece
were based on g wealthy marriage, her
/ fortune being her face, which had pro-
cured for her all that renamed Of the
elderly admirer, who now advanced with
mincing step to take the seat on the rus
tic sofa, Just vacated by Miss Tremayne
Erect, above the middle height, and in
clined to be stout, Sir BrisCo, past his
! siXtieth year, was certainly suavely
hammered and pleasant.loOking man,
/ somewhat regardless of appearance as to
costume, with 8 face expressive of strong
will. His grey eyebrows were bushy, while
his hair and mustaChe were white, coarse,
stubby and altogether diSinClintd TO bt
! smoothed or brushed.
Regarding Melanie sdmiringly, with 9
CLEAN in his old crow s-ioOted eyes, be
said:
ga brilliant gathering, and most charm.
ing day"
"About q hundred persons have made
the same original remark to me-" replied
Malanie, almost pettishly.
"Then | make the hundred and-1irst?'
eyes," said she, coloTing with annoy
2nce at her own ilI-cOnCealed GisCOur
tesv.
"So brilliant indeed" continued thu
Bsronet, ignoring it, that We nigh
fancy the times had come again, referred
to by Sir Thomas Mallory in his black let
ter book, which gives US an sccount O
King Arthur with his knights and ladies'
ell in green, riding near London by tn,
margin Of the Thames, in search O
punches of white thorn blossom. Al
American writer" ne continued, bending
his old head nearer hers, "says we Eng
lish have no climste-only samples; anC
Tslleyrand also asserted that we have nt
climste-only weather; and yet, is no
to-day lovely"
Melsnie bowed, but it Wss evident ths
her mature admirer did not intend tt
descant longer on that safe topic, tn,
weather, IS be said, in his most suavt
tone, whilst stopping still nearer her:
"ChilllDgton, l believe, is famous 70
its srum lilies. Shall we go into the con
servstorY close by"
"But then we snail not hear the BAN
in that receptacle for ear wigs"
'Itis only playing one Of those foreig
noises which we English, for lack O
something of our own, call music" sal
he, with little air of annoyance. "
knew you would be here, and though
detest gatherings OF this kind, l came i
consequence, Miss Talbot"
He saw little colour sweep over he
face, leaving it paler than before; but re
sumed in very low voice
'You know, so l need not repeat, tn
regard, the love have for you, Melanie
l must call you Melanie," he added, as
gesture Of Impotence escaped her.
She raised her eyes and looked al him
but for several secret reasons ard terror
OF her own yet to be related, she gave n
reply.
"Do you doubt my love for your" h
asked, with his white moustache With
an inch of her lovely little ear.
''No, Sir Brisco."
CHOW them"
,, 81 doubt having any TO give you in re
turn for it."
This is hard to bear. 1t will come i
time. l have been abrupt, perhaps
but to see you so sweeps all prudenc
away"
"Surely this is a strange place to
such speeches-or such conversation,
"You declined the orthodox con
servstory."
,, "Orthodox-in novels"
"And often in real life, too, Melanie.
"You have no right to call me by N
Christian name" said she, colorin
. now.
: To him, when her aunt was nc
, present, she wss usually defsn
quizzical, or cold. He thought the
,, that he would like to play Pygmalion t
her Galatea, only ne was too old an
,, too obese for the part of the sculptor {
Cyprus.
"And you leave this tomorrow, Mis-
Talbot" said he.
= Eyes, Sir Brisco."
, He paused, and then said: